Conveyor warewasher having an automatic wastewater removal system

Abstract

A dishwasher has a wash system with a nozzle system with at least one wash nozzle for spraying wash liquid, a wash tank, and a wash pump by means of which wash liquid collected in the wash tank is fed to the at least one wash nozzle. A dirt-collecting system has at least one tank-covering screen to separate off particles of dirt from the wash liquid. The dirt-collecting system also has a dirt-collecting region arranged in the wash system and is intended for collecting the particles of dirt which have been separated off from the wash liquid with the aid of the tank-covering screen, wherein the dirt-collecting region is open at the top, but closed all the way around the sides, and wherein there is also a dirt-discharging pipe system by means of which the particles of dirt collected in the dirt-collecting region are discharged from the wash system.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A dishwasher, comprising:
 a wash system having a nozzle system with at least one wash nozzle for spraying wash liquid onto wares to be cleaned, a wash tank for collecting at least some of the sprayed wash liquid, and a wash pump for feeding wash liquid collected in the wash tank to the wash nozzle; 
 a dirt-collecting system associated with the wash system and having at least one tank-covering screen in order to separate off particles of dirt from sprayed wash liquid which flows back into the wash tank under gravitational force, the dirt-collecting system having a dirt-collecting region arranged in the wash system for collecting the particles of dirt which have been separated off from the wash liquid with the aid of the tank-covering screen, wherein a dirt-discharging pipe system is connected to the dirt-collecting region for discharging the particles of dirt collected in the dirt-collecting region from the wash system, and wherein a top of the dirt-collecting region is located in an upper portion of the wash tank and is open to receive dirt from the tank-covering screen, but the dirt-collecting region extends downward through the wash tank and is closed all the way around the sides and downward from the top to the dirt-discharging pipe system such that both liquid and particles of dirt that move downward through the dirt-collecting region are prevented from reentering the wash tank for reuse in spraying; 
 wherein the dirt-collecting system has at least one dirty-water pump arranged in the dirt-discharging pipe system and by means of which particles of dirt collected in the dirt-collecting region are fed to at least one of a dirt-collecting container formed outside the wash system or a waste-disposal system formed outside the dishwasher; 
 wherein a controller is provided for activating a dirty-water pump in dependence on the quantity of particles of dirt collected in the dirt collecting region, on the level in the dirt-collecting region, on the level in the wash tank, on the transporting speed at which the wash ware is transported through the dishwasher or on other factors. 
 
     
     
       2. Dishwasher in the form of a box-type dishwasher or of a conveyor dishwasher—with at least one recirculating wash system having a nozzle system with at least one wash nozzle for spraying wash liquid onto wares to be cleaned, a wash tank for collecting at least some of the sprayed wash liquid, and a wash pump by means of which wash liquid collected in the wash tank is fed to the at least one wash nozzle, and wherein a dirt-collecting system is assigned to the at least one wash system and has at least one tank-covering screen in order to separate off particles of dirt from the wash liquid which has been sprayed and flowed back into the wash tank under gravitational force,
 characterized in that the dirt-collecting system also has a dirt-collecting region which is arranged below the tank covering screen in the wash system for collecting the particles of dirt which have been separated off from the wash liquid with the aid of the tank-covering screen, wherein a dirt-discharging pipe system is connected to a lower end of the dirt-collecting region and by means of which the particles of dirt collected in the dirt-collecting region are discharged from the wash system;
 wherein the tank-covering screen is arranged above the dirt-collecting region and has a runout slope in the direction of a feed opening located at a top of the dirt-collecting region in an upper portion of the wash tank, wherein the upwardly open dirt-collecting region extends downwardly from the feed opening such that the particles of dirt separated off with the aid of the tank-covering screen pass into the dirt-collecting region via the feed opening, wherein the dirt-collecting region is open at the top via the feed opening, but closed all the way around the sides and downward from the feed opening through the wash tank to the dirt-discharging pipe system such that both liquid and particles of dirt that move downward into the dirt collecting region through the feed opening are prevented from reentering the wash tank for reuse in spraying. 
 
 
     
     
       3. Dishwasher according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the tank-covering screen is designed, at least in certain regions, in a funnel-like manner, and wherein the feed opening is formed within the funnel-like region of the tank-covering screen. 
 
     
     
       4. Dishwasher according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the feed opening is formed in a central position of the tank-covering screen. 
 
     
     
       5. Dishwasher according to  claim 1 , wherein a coarse screen at least partially covers the feed opening and has a mesh width which is greater than the mesh width of the tank-covering screen. 
     
     
       6. Dishwasher according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the dirt-collecting region is designed, at least at its top end, in the form of a funnel-like region. 
 
     
     
       7. Dishwasher according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the dirt-collecting system has at least one activatable valve arranged in the dirt-discharging pipe system in order to selectively connect the dirt-collecting region to a dirt-collecting container formed outside the wash system or to a waste-disposal system formed outside the dishwasher. 
 
     
     
       8. Dishwasher according to  claim 1 ,
 which is designed in the form of a conveyor dishwasher, wherein the at least one wash system is designed in the form of at least one wash zone, and wherein the conveyor dishwasher, in addition to the at least one wash system designed in the form of a wash zone, has at least one final-rinse zone and a transporting arrangement for transporting the wash ware which is to be cleaned through the at least one wash system, which is designed in the form of a wash zone, and the final-rinse zone, which is arranged downstream of the at least one wash system as seen in the transporting direction (T) of the wash ware. 
 
     
     
       9. Dishwasher according to  claim 1 , which is designed in the form of a box-type dishwasher and has a treatment chamber in which the wash system is formed. 
     
     
       10. Dishwasher according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the dirt-collecting system has at least one dirty-water pump which is arranged in the dirt-discharging pipe system and by means of which particles of dirt collected in the dirt-collecting region are fed to a dirt-collecting container formed outside the wash system or to a waste-disposal system formed outside the dishwasher. 
 
     
     
       11. Dishwasher according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the dirty-water pump is configured in order that particles of dirt collected in the dirt-collecting region are channelled out of the wash system continuously or at predetermined times or in the case of predetermined events. 
 
     
     
       12. Dishwasher according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein a control means is provided for activating the dirty-water pump in dependence on the quantity of particles of dirt collected in the dirt-collecting region.